1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ball joint stud assembly for securely mounting the ball part of a ball and socket joint.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Ball and socket joints are used, for example, in suspension linkages where it is important that the ball joint stud be securely and reliably mounted in its socket.
An example of a suspension ball joint mounting mechanism known in the art includes a ball joint stud assembly having its ball portion pivotally supported by spherical seats fitted in the corresponding sockets in a support seat assembly suitably secured to a suspension arm. The shank portion of the ball joint stud assembly is passed through the forked portion of the steering knuckle and is secured by a suitable means, for example, by screwing a nut onto the corresponding threaded portion or by using a clamping bolt to tighten the forked portion of the steering knuckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,418 to Kondo et al. discloses a suspension ball joint mounting mechanism which illustrates the use of a clamping bolt for bolting the shank portion to the forked clamping portion of the steering knuckle.
However it has been found that when assembling this type of ball joint stud assembly, i.e., one using a clamping bolt to tighten the shank, an improper assembly between the shank and the mounting mechanism is possible. This improper assembly can occur because the diameter of the bore receiving the shank and the diameter of the shank are constant. Thus when the person assembling the device places the shank only in part of the bore, up to a maximum location where the end of the shank is located adjacent to the opening for the clamping bolt, the clamping bolt can be inserted and the mounting mechanism can be tightened. The shank is thereby held in the mounting mechanism in an improPer Position and the clamping bolt does not perform its additional function of retaining the shank by engaging the circumferential groove formed in the shank.